They got it wrong (April 29, 2015)

My mental state yesterday morning was as gloomy as the weather predictions .... and the cloud cover.  Thankfully, Mother Nature does not take orders from those doing the predicting.

What started out as a gloomy attitude, and me clad in rain gear, ended with a joyful ride through some very attractive neighborhoods in Gulfport, Mississippi ... in shorts and t-shirt.  Having traveled through the swamps (adjacent picture) of Louisiana, I entered Mississippi and got my first view of the Gulf of Mexico.  In as much as the gray-toned overcast was still prevalent, the color of the water was equally as gray.  Other than the satisfied feeling of reaching the Gulf Coast, the emotion of seeing the Gulf was a bit of a letdown ... kind of looks like the Great Lakes since there were no waves crashing the beach.

The next week or so I will be riding along the Gulf Coast, then about another week across Florida to the Atlantic.  Ten day weather forecasts show sunny skies along the coast.

Hope the weather folks got it right this time. 


Weather (April 28, 2015)

Not a whole lot to say, other than it has been quite wet and windy for the past several days ... quite wet and windy.

Tornadoes and torrential downpours in Eastern Texas.  I am currently in Slidell, LA and heading to Gulfport, MS today ... more of the same is expected ... wet and windy (and I am not speaking of tailwinds!!).

Slidell is located about 30 miles northeast of New Orleans ... New Orleans, where a few railroad cars were blown off of an overpass yesterday.  As I say, weather.

Don't know if the adjacent picture adequately shows it, but my fingertips are white and wrinkled from riding in the rain ... kind of similar to if one has been in a pool for an extended time.  Fortunately, it is not very cold, so the weather related discomfort is primarily due to continuous rain.

So, 'tis time to don my rain jacket and pants, and head out into "it" one more time.  Weather .... jeeeez.

Out of the Woods (April 24, 2015)

For the past several days of riding, the views have been pretty much limited to the paved road, 30' of cleared area on each side of the pavement and the tall barrier of trees.  Occasionally there were fields cleared for farming ... also clearings (scars) left by the logging industry.  The roads are primarily minor roads, which usually means a lack of pavement to the right of the white line ... also means true excitement when the logging trucks roar by.

I have been fairly loyal to the Southern Tier route, but have decided I have seen enough of the wooded areas of Louisiana.  I am now headed to the Gulf Coast, planning on viewing vast amounts of water east of New Orleans (and hopefully soft ocean breezes ... did I mention the constant 90%+ humidity??).

Today's revised route took me through some beautiful areas that were viewable due to the lack of tall trees crowding the roads.  Partly due to the fact that I failed my Draft physical back in 1968 (that and having lived in the desert for most of my life), I have never viewed rice paddies.  Today I rode past many, many, many flooded paddies, which in truth did not help to reduce the level of humidity.

Because of the dampness of the air, I just did not mind getting drenched by a thunder storm toward the end of today's ride ... I was already drenched ... it was the lightening that was a concern.  All in the day of a cycling tourist.

But I love all of this.  Particularly the motel at the end of the day rather than a tent in the woods.

Ups and Downs (April 22, 2015)

After leaving the comfort of Kim's place in Austin, I have spent four days experiencing a variety of "ups and downs".  Naturally, with Austin being located in the "Hill Country", there were a number of geological ups and downs.

The "ups and downs" that affected me the most were mental.

Location-wise, I have been riding eastward about 40 miles north of Houston ... and Houston is north of the Gulf of Mexico.  A tremendous weather pattern emerged from the Gulf producing extreme weather warnings and much flooding.  The nightly thunderstorms have been overwhelming to this "but it is a dry heat" guy.

This past weekend there was to be a MS 150 charity bike ride from Houston to Austin.  The plan was for the riders to ride from Houston to La Grange on Saturday, then on to Austin on Sunday.  The fairgrounds in La Grange were set up to accommodate the 13,000 riders (yes, that is correct ... thirteen thousand!!).  Friday night the storms brought over two inches of rain which resulted in the fairgrounds being flooded.  They ended up cancelling the Houston/La Grange leg, and just had the Sunday ride into Austin.  I was fortunate to ease into La Grange just prior to the rain falling (all night, I might add), and got into one of the few motel rooms available in town.

The next day I rode on to Navasota, TX, and camped in the city park.  Hurricane force winds (I thought I was going to be airlifted in my tent) and a huge downpour for most of the night.  Very disconcerting to be in such a storm with the thinnest of materials  protecting me from the elements. 
Sometimes a trite phrase really applies ... I was not a happy camper.

Due to this unhappy experience, I decided to overnight the next evening in a nice motel.  Unfortunately, my bad attitude and tiredness led me to have a few too many beers ... not a pleasant episode.  Riding with a hangover is not fun either.

So that is the mental "down side" ... what followed the next overnight was heaven sent.

About three miles east of the Texas town of Shepherd, there is a small retreat center/campground called Shepherd Sanctuary.  The lady who owns/runs the place, (Connie) is one of the gentlest people one could meet.  She and her family had been flooded out in Houston during the Katrina storm.  They had previously bought property near Shepherd, and decided to leave Houston and develop this facility.  To try to describe it would be futile, other than to say the rental cabins, the thousands of eclectic antique items scattered in and around the place is highly amusing ... and surprisingly peaceful.  The Venus de Milo-like statue pictured above goes almost unnoticed due to all the other items that catch the eye.  (Google "Shepherd Sanctuary Shepherd, TX for a look at the facility.)

We did not discuss religion, but I am sure she has followed the teaching of Buddha.  As seemingly cluttered as the entire place is, there is a very strong calming element. 

So I am mentally up this morning having put in a strong 65 miles yesterday (did I mention the roads have now flattened??), and will be exiting the great state of Texas today or tomorrow.  I have been riding across (and across, and across, and across) Texas for the past 21 days, and have logged just over 1300 miles since leaving Globe, AZ on March 24.

Much like everyday life, there are many "ups and downs" out here on the road.  For now ... dare I say it ... life is good.


Vanishing Comments (April 22, 2015)

It has come to my attention that at times friends (and foes alike) have been having difficulty in getting comments posted.  After some research, and several sample comment posting on my part, I have reached the following conclusion:  I don't know what may be causing the difficulty.

I do know that there sometimes is a lag between hitting the "publish" button and the comment being posted due to a "moderator" delay.  Other than that, I haven't a clue.

If any past "successful" commenters have some advice, please do share.

Like Moses ... (April 16, 2015)

After what seemed like an eternity of traveling through Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas, I have finally emerged from the desert.  Not being remotely close to being a Biblical scholar, I am hoping that reference is correct ... I had initially thought "40 days and 40 nights", but I think that is Noah's story.

Upon leaving Del Rio (former home of Wolfman Jack and the 500,000 watt AM radio broadcasts heard as far north as Chicago and far reaching both east and west back in the late 1950's ... rock 'n' roll!!!), the desert was left behind.  What had been brown and hot turned to green and over-cast cool.  Had a short ride (34 miles) to Brackettville/Fort Clark and ended up camping at the Fort Clark RV/Tent area.  Much to my joy, there were three other touring cyclist sharing the tent area.   Nick and Greg are long-time friends who are from Colorado, and Ian, who is from Las Vegas, is riding solo.  Nick is riding coast-to-coast, and Greg drove down for twelve days of riding (he would drive to the next over-night town, then ride his bike back and join Nick).  It was a true joy to share the campground with these three fellow cyclist.

The next three days included riding to Uvalde (42 miles), Hondo (43 miles) and Kerrville (56 miles).  The first two days of this leg were on fairly straight and flat roads ... and just enough of a headwind to remind one that one did not have a tailwind.  The ride up to Kerrville was the entry into the Hill Country that dominates the areas around Austin.  The adjacent picture gives an idea of the beauty of this area ... the riding has been a delight since leaving Hondo for Kerrville.

A word about the term "Hill Country" ... when phrases such as this are used to describe terrain one can deduce what one is getting into.  Example:  if you are heading to a town by the name of "Mountain Top", you can put all your cash into a bet that you are probably going to be climbing for a while.  Same with "Hill Country" (actually should be called "Hills Country") ... lots of short/steep climbs followed by exhilarating short/steep descents.  Beautiful country with a wonderful palette of yellow, blue and rust-colored wildflowers against the green grasslands.  I have been repeatedly told I have arrived at a time of flowers and green grasslands ... I am indeed a lucky traveler.

I met up with Nick and Greg in Kerrville, and was fortunate in that they invited me to join them for dinner.  Most often when this occurs when touring, one is limited as to distance to eateries.  In this case, we piled into Greg's truck and drove a great distance to a nice restaurant overlooking a beautiful river.  Good (new) friends, good views, so-so food and good beer made for a most excellent evening (not to mention riding in a vehicle with wide/soft seats!!).  Good time.

The next day I rode the 54 miles to the home town of LBJ ... oddly enough the town goes by the name of Johnson City.  Another beautiful ride.  The high-point of getting to Johnson City was greeting a smiling Kim, who had spent the day riding out from Austin.  I met Kim three summers ago on the cross-country ride from Oregon to Maryland.  The following year we then met in Minneapolis, and rode up into Canada and back to Bar Harbor, Maine.

We spent the evening enjoying a surprisingly good dinner and a not-so-surprising very enjoyable conversation.  There is a lot to be said for sharing time with (old) friends.

The next day (yesterday), we rode the 44 miles to Austin on some incredibly beautiful back roads, which, as it turns out, are also incredibly steep.  Painful as it was for me, it was a joy to be riding with Kim again.  Today I am enjoying a rest day at Kim's house, and have received a tour of Austin.  Impressive city.

On a side note, Kim is leaving next week to hike the Camino de Santiago 450 mile trail in Spain.  She had asked me to join her and her sister for this trek ... but, frankly, I ain't that crazy!

So tomorrow I head on toward Florida  and should be getting to the Atlantic Ocean around May 20 ... but unlike Moses, I don't think I will attempt to part the sea.

Got to Love Them Texans (April 16, 2015)

If you have stayed in a motel/hotel in the past several years that include breakfast with the room, you are no doubt familiar with the waffle-makers that typically result in a round waffle.

Texans have taken "state pride" to a new level ... check out the pattern on this waffle-maker. 

Got to love them Texans!!

Desert Views (April 10, 2015)

It has been five more days of riding through West Texas.  Five more days of viewing varying types of desert flora.  Five more days of dealing with wind.  But five more days of seeing an area of the country that I have not seen before.

Other than the desert, most of the things unseen before have to do with the many small towns that one passes through ... small towns that are for the most part closing down.   The Southern Tier route in West Texas primarily follows the railroad tracks.  Many of the small towns developed around the economic boom brought along with the building of the railroad route in the 1880s.  The highways then connected these towns as the era of automobiles came in the early 20th Century.  But then the Interstate Highway system was built in the 1950s-60s on more direct routes, and the smaller towns were bypassed.  So now many of the small towns are returning to the desert as the mostly wooden structures deteriorate.

If it were not for the overwhelming presence of the Border Patrol, I don't think there would be much of any economic activity in this area.  Most of the larger towns (population of 1,000 +) usually have a large Border Patrol facility ... each of these facilities must have in excess of 150 vehicles patrolling their specific area.  Helicopters, blimps and hundreds of vehicles searching the area for the illegal entrants.

It seems as though this whole "close the border" campaign has been relatively new to our society.  In reading some of the historical roadside plaques, I have become aware of the fact that there were "mounted watchers" and bi-planes used in the post-WWI era, which means the chase has been on for some time.

Anyway, since leaving Van Horn, the overnights have been at Marfa (75 miles), Marathon (57 miles), Sanderson (55 miles), Langtry (60 miles) and Del Rio (60 miles) ... all in West Texas.

On the ride from Van Horn to Marfa, I finally met up with the Canadian couple I had been hearing about for many a day.  Out in the middle of none-thing-ness (about 26 miles west of Marfa), there stands a lone structure showcasing Prada products.  Lounging in the shade (which is a rare commodity in this part of the country) were Cynthia and Rollie.  So very nice to meet-up with other touring cyclist.  We had a short conversation and thought we would be seeing each other on a daily basis.  Even though it turns out we overnighted in the same towns, riding schedules did not coincide.  I again met up with them yesterday in a restaurant in Comstock (30 miles west of Del Rio).  Again, the conversation was very enjoyable.  Alas, they are taking a rest day today, and are considering (due to a health issue) renting a small Uhaul van and driving to Austin.  I will be arriving in Austin on the 15th of this month (body and bike willing), so don't know if we will be getting together again.  Not many other riders heading east, so it could continue to be a solo ride.

So, time to load up the bike and head east, hopefully the desert views will soon be a thing of the past.

The Wind Doest Blow (April 4,2015)

The wind also doest suck.

Unbelievable ... night and day the wind blows ... night and day.  Doesn't matter to me this evening as I have opted for a motel room in Van Horn, TX ... let it blow.

Short story:  Last night I camped in the Sierra Blanca town park, and the only spot that I could find that was remotely protected from the wind was the stage area of the band shell ... nice but difficult to anchor the tent with stakes given the concrete floor.  The evening's inconvenience due to the wind was outweighed by the nearness to the railroad tracks ... actually by the noise of the 15 to 20 trains that came through town last night (horns were blared at each of the five roads crossing the tracks!).  Not much sleep last night, which makes this evening's enclosed motel room that much sweeter.

Side note to Peg Jorgensen:  While much of what I mention could be construed as whining, actually I am just offering up observations of occurrences inherent in bike touring.  There is much joy for the majority of the time while riding.  Besides, as was pointed out in Sandy and Mark Doumas's journal ...  real touring cyclist don't whine.

Having said that ... 34 miles into 18 to 20 mph headwinds all day today ... waaaaaaaa.

Still heading east.  The road sign in the adjacent pictures is 10 miles west of  Van Horn ... 510 miles west of Dallas ... it may be years before I exit Texas.

And the wins blows ...

Looking for Positives (April 2, 2015)

On previous rides along coastal areas or northern routes, views of the landscapes often leaves one in awe of nature.  On this particular ride, I have to say that I am not seeing much "wow".  Other than the rides up and over the two major passes (Mule Creek and Emory), the desert terrain has been most blah.

After leaving Silver City four days ago, the overnights (and mileage) have been Hillsboro (56 miles), Arrey (23 miles), Las Cruces (57 miles) and El Paso (47 miles).  The ride to Hillsboro included the climb up and over Emory Pass, which proved to be a challenge ... 2,500 feet in 16 miles.  Starting in the heat of the high desert proved to be physically taxing.  By the time I reached the pass, the weather had changed to overcast, cold  and windy ... very windy (and not the wind that pushes from behind!).  Toward the end of the climb I called on my usual climbing-mantra which consists of various biblical and sexual references ... not something I would repeat in mixed company.

The 16 mile ride down to Hillsboro was pure joy.  Down-side of arriving was that other than a winery outlet, nothing was open in the way of food or drink.  Fortunately, there are those who drink-and-drive, as I was able to receive a cold beer from a young guy who stopped at the city park to relieve himself of previously consumed beer.  While I discourage the act of drinking-and-driving ... that beer was mighty tasty!

The ride from Hillsboro takes one east to the Rio Grande River, then southward paralleling I-25.  I stopped at the Arrey RV Park due to a perceived lack of camping opportunities further south toward  Hatch, NM, which was only another 20 miles or so.  This RV park was quite interesting in that the overall ambiance was that of a used tire store located in a small town such as Eloy.  While it served the purpose of an overnight camping spot, it had a certain level of grime in all facets.   Almost all of the semi-permanent residents were grizzled-looking guys who spent their daylight hours prospecting for gold.  From the looks of most of the RVs, I don't think their efforts have proved to be profitable.  Interesting and friendly folks to talk with, but just of a different breed.

If ever you have wondered where RVs and/or trailer homes go to die, come on over to this area.  

The following day I headed south to Las Cruces, which proved to be quite a boring (visually) trek.  Lots of green and red pepper fields and more barren/trimmed-back pecan trees than I have ever seen.  I mentioned earlier that I stopped at the Arrey RV Park because I did not see any camping facilities south of the park toward Hatch.  Much to my disappointment, upon entering Hatch from the north I saw a most wonderful (new) city park adjacent to a new Community Recreation Center.  Now it may be that they do not allow overnight camping, but most small towns do realizing that overnight campers spend money.

Anyway, finished the day's ride in Las Cruces and enjoyed the luxury of an inexpensive motel, then on to El Paso yesterday.  More agriculture and loads of pecan trees ... and wind.

One of the common reasons non-bike riders in Tucson give for not riding on the streets of Tucson is fear of the car and truck traffic.  Those folks should come over to El Paso ... at one point I stopped to check the back of my shirt to see if someone had surreptitiously attached a target.  Scarey, to say the least.

So today I head east into West Texas.  Looking at the maps it appears that there is very little in the way of services, so it should be interesting.  The past two days I have been told of two other touring cyclist just ahead of me by a half-hour or so ... hoping to catch up to them in the next day or two.

Catching up to them would be a definite positive.